The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) is the primary federal government department serving First Nations and Inuit. However, several other federal departments and agencies have programs that deal with specific needs or interests of Aboriginal people. These programs range from grants for Aboriginal writers to emergency housing repairs.

The following alphabetical list highlights some of the federal government programs available to Aboriginal people in Canada.

Canada Council for the Arts

• First Peoples Words: Printed and Spoken is a program that offers two kinds of grants to assist with projects to create, produce and disseminate Aboriginal literary and oratory arts. The Grants to Individuals are for Aboriginal writers and storytellers. The Grants to Publishers and Collectives are for Aboriginal-controlled publishing houses, periodicals and collectives. The grants are available to Status and Non-Status Indians, Métis and Inuit.

• Assistance to First Peoples for Curatorial Residencies in Visual Arts provides professional development to Aboriginal people in all aspects of curatorial practice in the visual arts (painting, sculpture, mixed media, installation, photography and crafts) at the host institution of their choice. The program is open to Status and Non-Status Indians, Inuit and Métis people.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)

• CMHC's On-Reserve Rental Housing Program assists First Nations who want to provide suitable, affordable rental housing in their communities. CMHC has interest-free repayable loans available for First Nations to develop proposals for rental-housing projects. CMHC also insures any loans by approved lenders (e.g., banks) for housing projects. In addition, the housing corporation provides annual subsidies for the projects' operating costs for the duration of the loan.

• The Emergency Repair Program assists rural homeowners (many of whom are Aboriginal) to carry out emergency repairs to make their homes safe. CMHC covers the cost of materials and labour. Among the repairs classified as emergency are those to heating systems, chimneys, doors and windows, foundations, plumbing and electrical systems.

• The Homeowner Residential Rehabilitation Assistance Program assists Aboriginal homeowners who have substandard housing. Through the program, Aboriginal homeowners can carry out repairs to bring their dwellings up to a minimum level of health and safety. The program also provides some financial support to alleviate overcrowding. Eligibility for this program depends on the value of the house and household income. A portion of the funding may be forgiven, based on household income.

Canadian Heritage

• The Aboriginal Women's Program funds Aboriginal women's organizations seeking to improve the social, economic and political status of Aboriginal women in their own communities and throughout Canadian society, and to promote leadership development. The program's Family Violence Initiative supports community projects that address family violence using Aboriginal cultural approaches.

• The Northern Native Broadcast Access Program provides financial assistance to non-profit Aboriginal communications organizations for radio and television programming geared to Aboriginal audiences in northern Canada. This includes news, entertainment, cultural and educational programming, broadcast mainly in the Aboriginal language of the region.

• The Canada/Northwest Territories Co-operation Agreement for French and Aboriginal Languages is between the Government of the Northwest Territories and Canadian Heritage. This agreement financially supports programs that promote the use of the six Aboriginal languages of the Northwest Territories in the home, school and community.

• The Canada/Yukon Co-operation and Funding Agreement on the Development and Enhancement of Aboriginal Languages is between the Government of the Yukon Territory and Canadian Heritage. The agreement supports programs for community-based language renewal of the eight Aboriginal languages in the Yukon.

• The Aboriginal Representative Organizations Program provides funding to Inuit, Métis, and Non-Status Indian organizations involved with the federal and provincial governments in developing policies and programs that support the social and economic status, health and cultural identity of the people they represent.

• The Aboriginal Friendship Centre Program helps the 99 Aboriginal Friendship Centres in urban areas across Canada to improve the quality of life of Aboriginal people who live in or are travelling through urban communities. They provide referral services and culturally appropriate support programs to Aboriginal people in such areas as housing, education, employment, recreation, human resource development and cultural preservation.

Correctional Services Canada

• Through the Spiritual Services for Federal Inmates program, Aboriginal Elders are hired to address the spiritual and cultural needs of inmates in federal prisons.

• Through Native Liaison Services, Aboriginal people are hired to bridge the communication gap between Aboriginal inmates and non-Aboriginal prison staff. These workers ensure that decisions affecting Aboriginal offenders are sensitive to their cultures.

• The six-week Aboriginal Addictions Treatment program, developed by a national Aboriginal addictions treatment organization, is available to Aboriginal offenders. Elders participate in this Aboriginal-administered program.

Contact Correctional Services Canada
at (613) 995-5364.

Health Canada

• Health Canada ensures the provision of a variety of general health services and programs to Status Indians and recognized Inuit who are residents of Canada. These services, which are provided on reserves, include environmental health programs, health education, addictions and substance abuse prevention and treatment programs, nutrition services, public health services, as well as diagnostic and treatment services in isolated areas. Health Canada also provides certain non-insured health benefits that are not provided through provincial or territorial health insurance plans. These services include drugs, medical supplies and equipment, vision care, medical transportation and dental benefits.

• The Aboriginal Head Start Program is for Aboriginal children up to age six who live in urban centres and large northern communities. Aboriginal Head Start funds early intervention projects (pre-schools) that promote and protect Aboriginal cultures and languages, and encourage early child development in education, health promotion and nutrition. These projects are designed and controlled by Aboriginal people at the local community level.

• The Indian and Inuit Health Careers Program provides bursaries and scholarships to support Aboriginal students pursuing careers in the health field.

Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC)

Through its Aboriginal Relations Office, HRDC works with Aboriginal people to help them assume greater control of the design and delivery of employment services and skills development in their communities.

• For example, Regional Bilateral Agreements give Aboriginal authorities new tools and the responsibility to address local job priorities and training needs.

• The Urban Aboriginal Employment Initiative tests new approaches to employment and skills development for Aboriginal people in urban centres.

• The First Nations and Inuit Child Care Initiative helps to make it easier for Aboriginal parents to enter the workforce.

• The Native Internship Program provides Aboriginal students with summer jobs working with HRDC.

• In partnership with the Assembly of First Nations, Youth Service Canada for First Nations Youth in Communities assists unemployed and out-of-school Aboriginal youth to gain needed job skills. The program is open to Aboriginal youth aged 18 to 24 who live on reserves.

• Other HRDC programs that assist Aboriginal people are Summer Career Placements and employment equity programs.

Industry Canada

• Aboriginal Business Canada (ABC) is a branch of Industry Canada that provides business services and support to Canadian Status and Non-Status Indians, Inuit and Métis individuals, associations, partnerships or other organizations that are wholly or partly owned or controlled by Aboriginal people, on or off reserves. ABC works with Aboriginal entrepreneurs to promote the development, competitiveness and success of Aboriginal business in Canadian and world markets.

• Through the First Nations SchoolNet Program, all First Nations schools are being connected to the Internet as part of the broader SchoolNet initiative. Industry Canada is leading this project, in partnership with the Assembly of First Nations, Stentor and the schools themselves. The project will give First Nations members access to First Nations curriculum content, and the opportunity to create additional sites to promote their culture and ideas online and in the classroom.

• The Aboriginal Tourism Program focuses on developing partnerships with stakeholders, initiating basic research and carrying out specialized market testing to help promote Aboriginal tourism in North America and abroad.

Justice Canada

• The Legal Studies for Aboriginal People Program funds Métis people and Non-Status Indians who wish to attend law school. The department offers scholarships for a pre-law orientation course and a three-year law program. It also offers some scholarships for graduate studies in law.

• The Native Courtworker Program is funded jointly by Justice Canada and all the provinces and territories (except New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island) to assist Aboriginal adults and youth in conflict with the law. Aboriginal courtworkers provide non-legal counselling to Aboriginal people who have been charged, or are alleged to have committed a criminal offence. They also ensure that Aboriginal people in this situation understand their legal rights, responsibilities and options, and obtain legal services.

Contact Justice Canada
at (613) 957-4222.

Natural Resources Canada

• The First Nation Forestry Program (FNFP) is a national program designed to improve economic conditions in Status Indian communities, with full consideration for the principles of sustainable forest management. Under this program, First Nations work with various levels of government and industry to increase their communities' capacity to participate in forest-related activities. FNFP activities include training programs, silvicultural work and negotiations for resource access.

• Through the department's Aboriginal Model Forest Program, an Aboriginal community has joined the Network of 10 Model Forests across Canada. The community will take the lead in developing and exploring sustainable forest management practices from an Aboriginal perspective. Working in partnership with other interest groups (such as provincial governments, forest industries and forest researchers) the community can incorporate its traditional values and practices into the sustainable management of the Aboriginal Model Forest's resources.

Contact Natural Resources Canada
at (613) 947-7380.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)

• The Aboriginal Youth Training Program offers participants a three-week introduction to basic cadet training at the RCMP Training Academy in Regina. This is followed by 14 weeks of "ride-along" and mentoring at a detachment near the candidate's residence.
• The Aboriginal Cadet Training Program assists Aboriginal people who want a career in the RCMP, but do not meet the basic entrance requirements. Based on the findings of a three-week assessment, candidates are able to work on needed skills through a developmental program in their home division.
• The Aboriginal Justice Initiative aims to develop ways to restore to First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities the responsibility for administering justice. One of the means proposed is through Community Justice Forums (CJFs). The RCMP has recently provided training for school personnel, community workers and RCMP members as facilitators and trainers in CJF.

Solicitor General Canada

• The First Nations Policing Program provides First Nations across Canada with access to professional, effective, culturally appropriate police services that are accountable to the communities they serve. The federal, provincial and territorial governments and First Nations work together to negotiate agreements for police services that meet each community's particular needs. The program includes research and development and support to First Nations police services and police governing authorities.

Contact Solicitor General Canada
at (613) 991-3283.

For more information on any of these federal programs, please contact the department responsible.

Definitions

Aboriginal peoples:

The descendants of the original inhabitants of North America. The Canadian Constitution recognizes three groups of Aboriginal people — Indians, Métis people and Inuit. These are three separate peoples with unique heritages, languages, cultural practices and spiritual beliefs.

First Nation:

A term that came into common usage in the 1970s to replace the word "Indian," which many people found offensive. Although the term First Nation is widely used, no legal definition of it exists. Among its uses, the term "First Nations peoples" refers to the Indian people in Canada, both Status and Non-Status. Many Indian people have also adopted the term "First Nation" to replace the word "band" in the name of their community.

Inuit:

An Aboriginal people in northern Canada, who live above the tree line in the Northwest Territories, and in Northern Quebec and Labrador. The word means "people" in the Inuit language — Inuktitut. The singular of Inuit is Inuk.

Métis:

People of mixed First Nation and European ancestry who identify themselves as Métis people, as distinct from First Nations people, Inuit or non-Aboriginal people. The Métis have a unique culture that draws on their diverse ancestral origins, such as Scottish, French, Ojibway and Cree. Non-Status Indian: An Indian person who is not registered as an Indian under the Indian Act. This may be because his or her ancestors were never registered, or because he or she lost Indian status under former provisions of the Indian Act.

Status Indian:

An Indian person who is registered under the Indian Act. The act sets out the requirements for determining who is a Status Indian.

Publications and Public Enquiries
E-Mail: InfoPubs@inac.gc.ca

Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H4

(819) 997-0380
www.inac.gc.ca

QS-6119-018-EE-A1

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